From Particular Churches to Churches Sui Iuris

Authors

  • George Nedungatt Pontifical Oriental Institute

Keywords:

Rites, History of Codification, Terminological Debate, Lex Ecclesiae Fundamentalis, Ecclesia Singularis, Local Church, Title of the Eastern Code

Abstract

The year 2014 marks the tenth anniversary of the death of Father Ivan Žužek, S.J., who as secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the redaction of the new Eastern code (1990) was really its architect. He died on 31st January 2004. This study is dedicated to his memory. It deals with a problem of terminology, which the commission inherited from tradition, which the Second Vatican Council left unresolved: “rite,” which had long been in use to refer not only to the Eastern Catholic Churches and the Latin Church but also to their specific heritage in liturgy, theology, spirituality and canonical discipline. A preliminary spadework of the code commission was to bring about the needed clarity. From that effort emerged a new term Churches sui iuris. The present study reviews this process and looks critically at this new term at a time when the fiftieth anniversary of the promulgation of the conciliar decree “Ecclesiarum Orientalium” is being celebrated.

Author Biography

George Nedungatt, Pontifical Oriental Institute

George Nedungatt, born on 21 December 1932 at Peringuzha (Kerala, India), was ordained a priest on 19 March 1964, in the Society of Jesus. He holds licentiate in Philosophy and Theology. He took doctorate in Oriental Canon Law from the Pontifical Oriental Institute (PIO), Rome in 1973. Besides being professor, he has served in various capacities like Dean, Faculty of Canon Law at PIO (1981-1987), president of the Apostolic Process Tribunal, Palai, for the beatification of Sr. Alphonsa (1980), Consultor of the i) Pontifical Commission for the Revision of the Eastern Canon Law (1973- 1990), ii) Special Commission of Liturgy of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches, (1989-2000), iii) Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legal Texts, since 1991 and iv) Congregation for the Causes of Saints, since 1997. He was also is the editor of Kanonica and Delegate to the Institute of Oriental Canon law, at DVK, Bangalore, India since 1999.

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Published

2020-08-02

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2014): Iustitia: Dharmaram Journal of Canon Law

Section

Articles